An acclaimed Harrogate poet and musician is now a key figure in one of the UK’s most ground-breaking and diverse labels.

Yorkshire’s Heath Common, who swapped his life as music journalist on the Melody Maker in the golden days of rock and indie for a life of his own creativity, linked up with Essex-based Nick Dart to set up H4H Music publishing to promote "Music That Deserves To Be Out There."

Already New York-based writers writer Johnny Butler, who has arranged for Beyonce, and electronic duo Death by Piano are on their books.

The publishing firm runs in tandem with Hi4Head Records, Dart’s record label whose roster of acts range from the legendary improvisational giant of British jazz Trevor Watts to the afore-mentioned Death By Piano.

Nick Dart said: “The label was set up my late wife Sue and myself in 2002 to issue ‘music that deserves to be out there’ from diverse sources such as reissues, live sessions or new recordings.
“The label still adheres to that philosophy and I’m committed to get the music out to as many listeners as possible.
“The publishing company was set up with Bill in 2017, in order to build up and promote a portfolio of ‘music that deserves to be out there’.
“Publishing enables us to look at different markets and seek different routes for the music, such as adverts and films.”

If the different acts on Hi4Head Records share anything in common it’s musical sophistication, cool intelligence and a sense of space in their sounds.

Other acts on the label with recent releases include: Acoustic guitar maestro Stuart Masters’ atmosphere-laden live mini-album Union Chapel & Elsewhere and the explorative dance meets world music sounds of Johnny Butler’s HyperViolet.

Heath Common himself is a published Beat Movement poet whose collaborations with musicians such as Patrick Wise and Paul Taylor have led to well-reviewed albums such as Tales of a Young Life in Halifax and Notting Hill Gate, which have been released through Hi4Head Records.